Steam now offers the Steamplay release of Sid Meier's Civilization V, meaning a Mac OS X edition of the turn-based strategy sequel is now available, which is free to those who have already purchased the Windows edition of the game through Valve's digital distribution service. Word is: "Become Ruler of the World by establishing and leading a civilization from the dawn of man into the space age: Wage war, conduct diplomacy, discover new technologies, go head-to-head with some of history’s greatest leaders and build the most powerful empire the world has ever known."

It's very good for newbies but if you've experience with Civ, you'll soon find yourself seeing all kinds of holes in the balance and AI. Patches will help a lot, I think an expansion pack or two will give it the depth to make it a classic. Much of the apparent lack of depth is due to streamlined systems which I prefer, although they need a period of adjustment.

Civ does tend to get bad receptions from the hardcore following as they're used to the gameplay and the depth of the previous incarnation. Give it time, along with expansions and mods, and it will grow on them.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

you are right -- i should have cited some example -- look at Amazon customer reviews. 2.5 stars on average. there's always some idiots who dont like any game ever made, but the customers there are expressing general unhappiness at everything but the graphics.

A buddy of mine is at Firaxis and told me they expected comments like this. They're pretty aware that no Civ after Civ1 has been very well received, that they've got a fanbase in which the most dedicated and vocal despises change and gets very familiar/comfortable with the game as is through playing it hundreds of times (it can be seen as a knock but it's more a function of the way the game is than a complaint about fans), and they know this was a huge change.

All of that is true, with the exception that Civ4 was pretty much widely acclaimed at launch. I don't remember the hardcore fanbase really complaining. It seemed like it fixed all the complaints they previously had.

But it's very hard to make a new Civ and please people so tightly ingrained in the old standards and, typically, not of the belief that anything new is needed. I don't envy that job. I mean, I'm one of those impossible to please people. I thought Civ2 was unnecessary and added little other than unwanted change, I thought Civ3 sucked, I adore Civ4, and I haven't played Civ5 and see no reason to. Yet. The way I work I'll probably be back on board when Civ 7 comes out.